6-member team again stopped, this time from visiting Howrah

A day after a six-member team to look into alleged human rights violations in clash-hit Rishra in Hooghly was barred from visiting the area, the group was stopped on Sunday from going to Shibpur in Howrah district, which had also witnessed violence during Ram Navami processions in March.

Howrah police said the team was stopped as prohibitory orders were still imposed in the area.  The “fact-finding” team comprised former Chief Justice of Patna High Court L Narsimha Reddy; IPS/IG state crime branch (retired) Rajpal Singh; Former NCW member and advocate Charu Wali Khanna; advocate and former NHRC joint registrar (law) Om Prakash Vyas; senior journalist Sanjeev Nayak; and advocate and former consultant for NCPCR and NHRC Bhavna Bajaj.

After the team was stopped from entering Howrah at the second Hooghly bridge, one of the members of the team said,  “Police had sent us a letter on Saturday which stated that the whole matter is subjudice with the Calcutta High Court. Section 144 is enforced in the area. We counter that our team is not going to investigate any crime in that area. Just by visiting the area and talking to the injured, we are trying to boost their confidence.”